restoring connection through the apps

30 May

This month we're talking about social apps and how they're putting human connection and authenticity back on the agenda.

Facebook has big plans to bring back the OG Facebook where it feels more personal and community driven like the old days. It's been 10+ years since I've used Facebook but I remember being so fond of it in high school and university. Writing long paragraphs on your friend's wall full of inside jokes, updating your status with your feelings about American Idol results, uploading all your digi cam photos from a night out into an album titled 'sUmMeR tImE aNd tHe LiViNg iS eAsY' for all to witness how fun the night was. I wouldn't share half as much now as I did then, but no regrets because that was such a fun time and we all felt so care-free and excited about everything, and loved to document it.

Last year I tried getting back onto Facebook to explore Marketplace but the algorithms were completely off and I felt very disconnected and bored using it. Random ads for food I would never eat and a bunch of irrelevant videos. I scrolled through for a few minutes and then got fed up. Even Marketplace wasn't showing me what I was looking for which made the whole experience flat. As much as I love the idea of Facebook returning to its roots, I don't think I'll be logging back on any time soon. I associate it with a certain time in my life when I was much younger, and I don't think it will serve me the same today. But I do like the idea of it making a comeback and hope others feel the same excitement I did back then.

In more app news, Tinder has also launched an "interactive AI chat experience" to help with your flirting skills?! According to the press release, the aim is to help you with your conversation skills and you're basically role playing a scenario as if you're getting to know someone. You get rated on how you did with additional feedback and criticism provided if needed.

As someone who creates decks of conversation starters with a similar goal (I'm simply encouraging an authentic conversation, but if that leads to flirting, cool), I'm not sure how I feel about it. We need an app for dating and then a game within that app to teach us how to date and have authentic interactions. You could just partner with smaller businesses already doing the work to try and reach that goal? Someone did buy a deck once for a second date which I thought was really cool. A great way to get to know someone through a game. Less pressure because it's the card asking you, not me.

Speaking of prompts, I wanted to end by sharing the best prompts according to dating app Hinge, which have led to the most amount of conversations. I like them as they're really open-ended which means the conversation, humour or seriousness can go in any direction. A good thing when trying to figure someone out!